You’re never too old!

No-one in public life should ever feel too old to take on fresh ideas. I received this today and recommend the link to London readers especially, but others past the first flush of youth elsewhere in Britain might find it thought provoking too……..

My City Too Manifesto
London’s teenagers’ manifesto for better spaces in the Capital

View young Londoner’s manifesto for better places in the Capital at: http://www.mycitytoo.org.uk/manifesto.html

In light of the mayoral elections this Thursday, please take a minute to look at the recent My City Too Manifesto for better spaces and places in London.

Young people are our future. But without the chance to influence opinion, they are excluded from debates and decisions about the future of their city. They use the spaces of our city in different ways to adults.

The My City Too manifesto is drawn from a 2 year-long-campaign with the My City Too ambassadors from across London. They have debated and developed their ideas through surveys and polls, building exploration workshops, collaborations with architects and developers and have developed creative resources to express their ideas. More importantly, the campaign findings are intended to aid future development in ensuring that young people are part of the solution rather than being perceived as the problem.

The campaign analyses capital-wide problems and finds solutions that can be applied to London generally. It is about delivering solutions that can influence local, regional and national policy.

The campaign is led by Open House, the architecture education charity – renowned for its groundbreaking work in architecture education. This is the first campaign of its kind. Never before has a pan-London initiative been undertaken to explore what young people want from their built environment, what their ideas are for the future of their city and how they can inspire change.

This manifesto will be actively pursued to ensure that these ideas are embedded into London’s policy for the built environment.

Help us to give London’s young people a voice. Pledge your support for the manifesto by emailing: mycitytoo@openhouse.org.uk

Regards

Victoria Thornton
Founding Director, Open House

297 Euston Road
London NW1 3AQ

www.openhouse.org.uk

 

Boris Johnson launches Environment Manifesto

Boris Johnson has launched a detailed manifesto for Environmental policy for London. See the link on the ‘Back Boris’ page.

 

Weak thinking, Brian!

This section from the Lib Dem Mayoral candidate’s transport manifesto should sink his chances with most Kingstonians without trace. The first idea isn’t a bad one but the consequential second policy is just plain barmy:-

• Scrap the Western Extension Zone

• Introduce in its place a 24/7 £10 greater London congestion zone for non-Londoners. Commercial vehicles and London registered vehicles will be exempt. Aimed at encouraging visitors and commuters to use public transport.

It was noticeable that, when Howard Jones drew attention to this proposal in the Budget debate last Wednesday there was embarrassed silence from the Lib Dem members. And no wonder! People coming in to Kingston to shop from Esher, Claygate, Long Ditton or the far end of Lovelace Road or Ditton Road in my ward or Balaclava Road or Portsmouth Road in St. Marks ward would be faced with a £10 charge every time they come to shop in Surbiton or Kingston - the biggest retail centre in London outside the West End - and they’d have to pay an extra tenner on top of the seat price and the parking charge to visit the beloved Rose theatre. That should strangle Kingston’s economy sure enough.

Only someone profoundly ignorant of the nature of the boundary areas of Greater London (where one building in Greater London is often next door - literally - to one in Surrey) could possibly have come up with such a harebrained scheme - and he wants to be Mayor!